As this is my first time reaching out to you as the IABC DC chapter President, allow me to say Happy New Year, and welcome to our current and future members. We hope to see you all soon.
‘Soon’ is the word we’ve been accustomed to hearing because everything will be better soon, correct? I believe it will be because perseverance is in our DNA. It’s been difficult to be remote and not have in-person events, whether a simple happy hour or with a great speaker from the communication profession.
Our chapter though, I would argue, is a model of perseverance. Our volunteer Board of Directors accomplished much in 2021, through a team effort and the leadership of Heather McElrath, our Immediate Past President. Heather, thank you on behalf of the Board!
2021 Highlights:
- Continuing our pivot to quality virtual events
- Rebuilding our chapter website
- Financially stabilizing the chapter
- Increasing our social media outreach
- Creating Standard Operating Procedures to help the chapter run smoothly
- Updating our bylaws
- Rebuilding our Board
There are more than the above highlights. What allowed us to accomplish so much was a passionate Board and group of volunteers that truly care about their profession and its chapters’ membership. Looking back, we were righting the ship in 2021. In 2022 we will be steering the ship into a better chapter.
I want our Board not only to continue the great work from the past year, but I want us to focus on three key initiatives:
- Membership: The chapter exists because of our members. Mark Wright, VP Membership has a plan to grow of the chapter into its next phase.
- Quality Events: The chapter is working on the 2022 calendar, but we would like input from our members since you drive the conversation.
- Strengthen our BOD: As I mentioned above, we are a volunteer group and I would like us to have open positions filled (Events, DEI, Sponsorship) and for more volunteers to provide a pipeline for future board roles.
Congratulations to our new Board
Thank you and congratulations to those that continue to serve as well as those who stepped up and put their names on the ballot: Mark Wright – VP Membership, Denise Hobik – VP Finance, Amy Richardson – Secretary. However, we still have openings to fill, and you can be a part of our success. We are in a transition year because of changes to our chapter’s Fiscal Year. The old bylaws had the chapter on a calendar year, but the new FY will run from July 1 through June 30, which puts us in line with more chapters and the IABC head office. What this means to you is that the new Board will have a short time before we begin the election process again in May. Click here to see our new Board and current list of volunteers.
I leave you with the Pantone color of the year, Very Peri. Color is a powerful way to communicate our feelings and aspirations. Whether you like the hue or not, the thought of transition and positivity cannot be ignored.
I look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events. Please reach out to any of the Board via the website if you have questions or ideas. Thank you for your continued membership and read Mark Wright’s blog post for a new member recruitment initiative.
Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for chapter updates, resources, and opportunities.
Have a successful, healthy, safe, and happy new year,
Giuseppe Laviano
IABC DC Chapter President